Twins
by mjs22mj
Summary: Ringabel and Alternis are abandoned in the streets of Florem, and have to try to survive. Go read unbreakable bonds, the fanfic that sparked the start of this story. T for abuse and to be safe. Chapter 14 is up
1. Chapter 1

1

"I wish you were girls, and then you might've been saved…" The woman's voice trailed off as she set the basket in the empty room. She had to leave, because of the threats that she had been given, for her safety and theirs. She took one last peek under the sheet covering the top; the two of them were sleeping. Alternis and Ringabel.

Alternis was the first to wake; he was the oldest, always looking out for his twin, who was a bit vulnerable. It was nice to feel his warmth as he got up, maybe mom- no, she was gone by now. Then he noticed the wicker. Popping his head out of the sheet, he saw his house, but it was empty. Tears started to collect on his cheeks, but then he knew he must be strong. For the other sleeping blissfully unaware of the faked death of the two of them, the potion taken as a glass of juice to seal their well being.

Alternis got out of the basket as quietly as a seven year old could, in an attempt to let Ringabel rest, but he awoke too, yawning and wondering why he was in a basket.

"Did she tell you?" Alternis asked his brother.

"What did she tell us?" Ringabel seemed confused. He figured as much. Ringabel always hid behind him from all of the ridicule, he couldn't take the stress.

"She abandoned us, so she could live a better life." Alternis replied. At this, all Ringabel could feel was shock. It seemed not to register.

"But she'll come-"

"She will never come back."Tears welled up in Ringabel's eyes, and Alternis had a few as well. After a few minutes, Alternis sighed, brushing his twin's silver hair off of his face, wiping his tears.

"What will we-"Ringabel choked through tears.

"We'll just have to survive."

Unfortunately, the city of Florem was hard to survive in. There were only women allowed inside the citizens, and people in Florem didn't have children, let alone boys, and two? Ridiculous. The ridicule had reached the point of violence, and the family, already left fatherless, broke beyond repair as the mother left her two helpless children in the slums of a city against the idea of their existence.

Alternis felt his body groan, and got up, leaving Ringabel in the basket to cry a little longer, hugging the small stuffed rabbit left between them. Food and water were needs, and he wouldn't give up that easily. Saying goodbye, he left the shack they call home, telling his brother to stay out of trouble.

Ringabel waited for hours, until night fell, but no Alternis. Something was wrong, and he should've gone with him, but was too scared. Alternis was always taking care of him, and Ringabel had to repay the favor. Steeling himself to the task, he left Mr. Puff and exited into the night.

'Night is cold' was all Ringabel could think as he cautiously stalked the streets for Alternis. He looked everywhere along the trash ridden alleys but couldn't find him. Every noise that followed him was a monster that had hurt his beloved brother, and this made him go past his own fears to find … Alternis.

Disheveled and unconscious, his brother lay against a wall, covered on bruises and cuts. Running up to him, he tried to pick him up, haul him to safety, but he wasn't strong enough. Alternis's breathing was labored, and there was no one to help. Ringabel broke into tears again, and started to cry for help, unaware of the figures watching them.

"I knew there was another one." one of the women said as they came out of the shadows. Two others followed her, carrying daggers and staves. Ringabel turned to them, terrified.

"What do want with me and Alternis?" he asked them, failing to mask his worry.

"Men don't belong in Florem, no matter the age." Another said. "When we found this one looking for scraps, we had to teach him not to deal with us. Then as he fell, he said one word that stopped us from completely killing him. Brother." Ringabel gasped, looking down at his crumpled brother. "Two birds with one stone." The one with the staff came rushing to them, and Ringabel started to shy away as she knocked him away from Alternis into the pavement between them. He whimpered as she held the staff along his back, pinning him to the floor, helpless. The three of them snickered at once.

"So pathetic. At least the other fought back." The dagger wielder sighed. "This one is a good one. Let's take him." Ringabel squeaked as the trio hauled him away from his brother, tied up with some rope so as to not dart away. Alternis disappeared from view, and he shivered. He could do nothing. At least Alternis might be okay… he thought as he was shoved into a wooden crate.


	2. Chapter 2

2

Alternis awoke with a start in the grime. Pain filled him, and he looked around. The women were gone, and it was morning. Ringabel was the only thing he could think about. Running to the shack, he just saw the basket. And Ringabel's rabbit. A few hours passed as he combed every inch of Florem, but there were no signs of his brother at all. The only thing he got were snide remarks from the females in the city, only telling him that he should leave as his brother did. Somehow he survived the following month, living off of the hope of Ringabel and scraps.

One day, he found a lead in the form of a letter in one of the dumpsters he was raiding, and it had a small notice on it. About a show. With the strange boy of Florem. Following the address, Alternis found a small building in the edge of the town, and started to it, accidentally stepping on a sharp piece of metal. Looking at himself, he realized how bad he looked, famished and bare, with tattered shirt barley holding together.

The door opened, revealing a small store, packed with food and other products. Not a person manned the counter, but a thought took him. He told himself to look away from the shelves. "Ringabel first," He reminded himself as he found a door behind the counter, covered by a decorative rug on the wall. Stairs led down, lit by small torches to a lengthy basement. It was dank, and he could hear faint talking.

"Someone needs to go up there; I forgot to seal the entrance." A woman's voice.

"I'll go, just make sure the brat isn't being too stupid." Another, but with footsteps in the background, so Alternis hid along the wall, squeezing himself between the pillars that lined it. The woman passed him, holding a staff. Alternis took the chance to go further, almost to a lit room. Hiding again in a similar manner as the lady came back, he stayed there until the light came off and tons of ladies streamed out. They left, snuffing the torches as they exited the building.

Alternis picked the lock on the door, and came into the room. Cages lined the edges of the walls, and they housed every kind of animal. He then found one alone, in the corner of the room, and sniffles came from it. Ringabel was inside, and he was crying to himself, huddled in the corner.

"Ringabel!" Alternis exclaimed, hunched over on the bars, and his brother looked up at him, tears streaming down his face, and came to him. Alternis couldn't believe what he saw. He had a barrage of scars on his shirtless body, and was muzzled like an animal. This brought alternis to tears. "I'll get you out," He said as he held in his shock. Ringabel said something, but he was blocked by the device on his face.

The door had seven locks on it, Ringabel had escaped before. It took him about an hour, and he rushed to his twin. His hands and feet were bound as well. Undoing them brought out blood, and Alternis noticed the fresh scars on his brother's back. Ringabel just looked at him with teary painful eyes. He was weak, and Alternis had to help him stand, even though hunger gave him fatigue. Together, they left the building and went back to the house that they were left in. Home. As they opened the door, there were people inside though, and the girls screamed at the sight of the muzzled scars, and the stick with a face. They were kicked in the street. Ringabel was almost keeled over, his breathing heavy through the constraints of the thing on his face. The two went to the smallest alley they could find and collapse together, Alternis of hunger and Ringabel of pain.

It was the early morning when the main act of their show wasn't in his cage. The women screamed, and quickly set out to find their prize.

"That brat," one murmured, "we're going to make sure he never walks again."

Alternis awoke next to Ringabel, taking refuge in his warmth but gazing in horror at his scars, too numerous to count, littering his body in the morning light. He turned him over, to try to get the muzzle off of him, only to notice him breathing heavily, and his cheeks were flushed. The open wounds on his arms and back must have been too much on the ground in the cold. Scowling, Alternis slaved over the intricate lock on the side of Ringabel's face, but there was a keyhole, the only way to get it open. To make things worse, it was sealed to his skin, leaving the metal bars and mesh for breathing. He leaned over his twin, apologizing to make things right. A shadow loomed over them, and Alternis flinched, expecting to be hit, but was instead pet by a very large hand on his shoulder. A man's hand.

He knelt to the both of them, his long, blonde hair waving behind him, as he put a hand on Ringabel's face. Alternis had no words to say, he just stammered, and looked at his reaction, a serious sigh.

"Only monsters would hurt a child like this," He said in a voice unfamiliar to Alternis's ears. He then inspected him, a pale sack of bones. "You are twins, aren't you?" Alternis nodded, only for the hunger to fully take effect. He started to slump over, only for the man to grab him, holding him in his warm, caring arms. "Don't worry about anything. I will take care of you both." Alternis heard as he fainted into him, not knowing if he would wake again.

"You." The three women came behind the man. "Thanks for finding the property, but that belongs to us." she says casually. The man was appalled.

"Is this how you treat human beings?" He asked, pointing to Ringabel and putting Alternis to rest beside him. "You disgust me. Leave at once." His demanding voice was at its last nerve.

"What if we refuse to give the thing up?" The girls took out their weapons. In response, the man took a large sword out from his back.

"Test me." He took out another thing, a small gem out of his pocket. His simple clothes turned to full body armor, and a blue field appeared around them. The women were scared and retreated, but there was no end to leave. "Let them go and I will let you leave with your lives."

The women left and the man took both the boys in his arms, carefully taking them out of the city.


	3. Chapter 3

3 (Hey, this is an author's note, don't know if I should put it here, but I just wanted to tell you guys that I had to go to the hospital yesterday, so I'll make it up with two chapters today. seeing that people just took their time out of their day to read this makes me happy, thank you.)

Alternis awoke again, but he was tucked into a bed. Ringabel wasn't next to him. In fact, the room only housed the bed, and a nightstand with a few shelves on the walls. A door was in front of him, albeit not completely facing the bed for more privacy. The handle slowly turned, and creaked open. The man from earlier peeked in, and came fully in once he saw Alternis awake.

"Nice to see you awake." He smiled, but he could also see the look of confusion and worry on Alternis' face. "Your brother is currently getting treatment, as we had to get that horrible thing off his face. My name is Braev, and you can rest easily here." Alternis tried to sit up, but was too famished. Braev responded in kind with a bowl of soup. He fed him, and the young boy fell asleep without a word.

"We've stabilized him, after we had to cut the muzzle out." Another man stepped in the room, with a huge ponytail and a white lab coat that matched his red tie and glasses perfectly. He had a similarly dressed boy behind him, a bit older than the twins.

"Thank you, Vincent." He nodded in response, but came closer to Alternis, sleeping quietly in bed.

"And him?" He asked quietly.

"Just starving, and has scars." Braev looked at the ground. "They were abandoned, most likely, and used in some kind of show, by the looks of it." The boy looked at him, wide eyed.

"It was probably by a bunch of crystalists." Was all he could muster in his surprise. Braev nodded. Victor was a good child, albeit a snob.

"We should get back to the other one; he's in worse condition than this one." Vincent waved at Victor. "He still has the high fever." The two left. Braev put his hand on Alternis' forehead, pushing away his matted hair.

"I wonder if Edea-" He stopped the thought. He would take them in. They needed a father. After a few hours, Alternis woke up again, but took in a sharp breath and flinched at the man next to him in a chair. He felt better, but the man was sure to hurt him, as all men were evil, and were kept out of Florem.

Braev just took his hand back, and frowned. "You are safe here. Want to see your brother?"

"Yes…" Alternis said shakily. Braev helped him up. "Where are we?"

"An airship, and we are flying to Eternia." Alternis knew what none of that meant. "What's your name?

"Alternis," he said meekly. "My brother's name is Ringabel." The other nodded, and led him, opening the door to a hallway, lined with similar doors. They went to the deck, and Alternis stared down at the clouds underneath the floating vessel. He gave a rare smile.

"Come on, we need to see your brother." Alternis hurried after him.

They came to a room labeled healing, and in it there were the two ponytails, leaning over a table. A green shimmer of light, and they looked up. In the space between them was Ringabel, out cold, looking relatively normal. Alternis ran to him and hugged him, tears streaming down his face. The other three smiled behind them.

"He's not well enough to even wake up, but you can visit him as long as we aren't working on him." Vincent said to him. Alternis looked up to him, and nodded. His brother was going to be okay.

The next few days he sat at his brother's side, catching as he shook in his sleep, eyebrows coming together in pain. Victor came every hour to cast white magic on RIngabel, and the two watched him in the room.

"Do you have any more injuries?" Victor asked him. Alternis shook his head. "Well," He said, getting up from a chair, "If you need anything, just ask."

Alternis was grateful for the snob, at least he showed signs of caring. For three days, the routine continued, but one day, RIngabel got worse. He caught a cold, and the fever was back. Vincent shook his head in frustration.

"What is so wrong with him? There were no problems." He muttered, flipping switches on the medical machines. He looked at Alternis, who was in shock at his brother's worse physique. He was thinner, and puffing out choked breath.

"We'll take care of this," Victor said in his emotionless, voice, putting Alternis outside to cool off. After a few hours of waiting, Victor showed up, holding a vial covered in paper. Alternis hid his face, puffy from the breakdown he had.

"Those women forced him to swallow an enchanted ring, and it made him sick if he left, probably." Victor stroked his back as the two sat in the hallway. Normally, he'd ignored others, but seeing someone younger than him in so much pain made him sick. After a while, Alternis got up ashamed at what he did. Victor just told him to get some rest and left.

The next day, Alternis hurried to RIngabel's side, to find a huge line of stitches on his abdomen. Holding his hand, he wanted to take away the pain, somehow. This time was different, though. RIngabel stirred, and his eyes cracked open.

"Ringabel!" He said to him as his brother awoke.

"Alternis!" Ringabel gave a weak smile and croaked out the word in his tears. Alternis hugged him, the both of them in tears.


	4. Chapter 4

4

Both boys recovered well in the next few days, until the air got colder. There were no coats in the hold of the ship that were small enough, save victors, and they both had coats to their knees. Braev often came to them, and read to them in the room they shared. About a place overrun by corruption, a place called Eternia. As the air grew colder, they started to believe the stories, until arriving in a mountainous, snow covered land, and Braev chuckled at their looks of surprise.

"So all of its real? The man who overthrew the government and the plague?" Alternis asked, and Ringabel nodded along with him.

"I'm the grand marshal himself." Braev said calmly as the two went from surprised to complete and utter disbelief. Laughing, he pet each of their cold heads, and brought them inside, as they started to shiver. He forgot that they had been in Florem their whole lives, and weren't used to the cold.

The airship docked in the place called central command, high in the mountains. Shivering and timid, the two closely followed Braev, and got their own room in the same floor as his. It was huge, and two small beds were positioned on either side of the room.

"Are you sure? We don't need this." Alternis said as Braev patted him on the back.

"You've suffered long enough." Braev tried to hug the both of them as Ringabel stepped back a little, flinching. "You both need to rest more, and get used to people. Neither of you can go on like that." With that, he left the room. Alternis glared at Ringabel, who replied with a scared look.

"How can you not trust him? He's done so much for us, and you can't even trust him a little." Ringabel stepped back a little more.

"He… he's not you." He replied meekly. "Everyone who isn't you will hurt me. And now you're hurting me…" He started to cry a little, kneeling on the ground. Alternis went to help, but Ringabel pushed him away, going on the bed closest to him.

"Why are you acting so strange?" Alternis was yelling, his feelings bleeding at the seams. "It's like someone took Ringabel far away." Ringabel looked into Alternis's eyes, a deadly stare coming from him.

"They removed Ringabel long ago." Those words, sharp and serious, hurt Alternis more than the strongest pain. The two were tired, though, and stopped talking. Both went to sleep.

Alternis awoke with a start at the noises he heard across the room. Whimpering, and crying. His brother was having a nightmare.

"Stop… please…"he whimpered in between tears. Alternis woke him up, and he gave a startled cry, wide eyed and hugging Alternis next to him. "Im sorry…" he said to his brother as he cried into him. Alternis could feel the shivers running down Ringabel.

"It's alright, you've been hurt. You just need to heal." Ringabel was astonished with the acceptance in Alternis. It made him bawl more.

The boys awoke in the same bed, Ringabel was resting against Alternis. They then got dressed in the clothes left for them, two ten year old boys in skintight black shirts, covered by small blue coats lined with fur, and long pants that fit the same with blue packs sticking out from both sides of their legs.

Alternis seemed to like it a lot, but Ringabel detested the way it gripped his body. It reminded him of the show, and the muzzle. He shivered when he thought of the day the women took him in the basement, stripping his shirt and putting on a muzzle as he screamed for Alternis. Every time he didn't obey, they would cut him and whip him, and he stood in front of the small crowd every night, acting like an animal at their bidding. Alternis shot him a worried stare, and he noticed he was cringing.

"Sorry, I just…" Alternis realized he might have been prying, but Ringabel put it aside. Suddenly, a small knock arrived at the door. It wasn't like the strong hands of Braev, nor was it the gentle, healing hands of Victor or Vincent. Something very small. And Feminine. Both of their blood ran cold, as all women treated them like animals, and she was coming to punish them. They scrambled out of sight as the door opened.

"Daddy said that you were new, so come out whoever you are!" A girl said as she rushed in.


	5. Chapter 5

5 (AN/ so I know I'll post every Monday with the chapters I have ready, so expect at least one chapter, sometimes two, but AP is homework, so don't grow to expect two. thanks for reading!)

A small girl, about five, rushed toward the twins, who hugged each other as she came near. The both of them were cowering when she stopped in her tracks at the sight of them.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her blonde hair sticking out from top and sides of her face. When they replied with more quivering, she stuck her hand out to them. They flinched even more in kind. She then frowned angrily and went out of the room yelling "Daddy!"

A few moments later, Braev rushed in, the girl at his heals. He came to the boys, still cowering at the corner of the room.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his voice filled with worry. Alternis, keeping his brother in his arms, gave a slow, quivering point and a small whisper.

"She's going to take us back to be punished." At hearing this, Braev sighed, and the girl got very angry.

"I'm going to… mrgrgr…" But Braev stopped her and told her to leave. After she was gone, Alternis got a little less scared, but Ringabel lay quivering still in his arms.

"That was my daughter, Edea." The man sighed, taking the brothers in his lap. Ringabel tried to struggle, but couldn't find the strength. "She won't hurt you, only trying to befriend you." That didn't stop the twins from continuing to hide in him.

"All women are here to cause us harm, and to punish us for existing," Ringabel whispered, his voice quivering as he thought back in his mind. Braev put a comforting hand on his head as he cried into his diaphragm. Alternis gave a shaky sigh as he looked up to him, his eyes teary as well. The three huddled together, and Braev noticed how broken the two were for the first time, especially little Ringabel.

Edea silently stepped in the room, a look of shock across her face at how the twins reacted at her. They were now asleep, and her father was putting the exhausted ones into bed, even though it was morning. Whispering, she asked her dad why they would do that, and he just sighed.

"There are many things to find out in this world, and they had a bad experience with some girls." She looked puzzled as he led her out of the room, turning off the torch on his way out. Outside, he knelt on the ground, smiling to his daughter.

"They don't like girls, so we need to get them to like them, okay?" Edea nodded in a hurry, going off to her room on the other side of the floor. "Where are you going to?" He asked his daughter.

"I'm going to make them happy later!" She said from farther away. Braev put on a smile for his daughter, but as soon as she rounded the corner, he frowned, looking at the door.

Ringabel awoke with a start, having another nightmare about the cage. Alternis was snug in the bed next him, so he refused to wake his brother, instead opting to explore the building for food. He never ate in the morning. Coming out of the door, he looked around for any signs of life in the hallway. There were none, so Ringabel walked around for a bit. There was nothing to see in the floor, and no food, so he took the stairs down to the next floor, finding a small kitchen in the next hallway. Hungrily, he raided the pantry, grabbing a piece of bread and scarfing it down.

"Oh, it's you!" A young voice said behind him, and it made him freeze in mid bite. It was the girl. She came up to him, and he flinched as she grabbed his arm. He yelped in terror as she pulled him out of the corner, but she continued to smile.

"My name's Edea and I'm going to fix you!" She blurted out to him as he struggled to get away. She was strong for a five year old. Throwing a coat on him, she continued to pull him, this time through an elevator. The two ended up outside in the thick snow, much to Ringabel's distaste. He was too cold.

"Well, come on!" She cried to him, and he reluctantly agreed down the snow covered hill. At the bottom, he was greeted with a cold shock to the face. A snowball. Ringabel gasped, and rubbed it off as quickly as possible. He was freezing, even under two layers. Another came to his gut, and it immediately flared with pain. He fell to the ground, assuming a fetal position as Edea fan to him.

"Go away!" He yelled as she stopped next to him, swatting at her. She could sense the hate and fear in his voice, and ran up the hill, crying. He laid his head in the snow, cringing at the cold and the flaming pain in his wound. As soon as she left, however, there was a noise in the bushes and trees around him. Crunching of snow, and panting. Eyes, bright red, pierced the shadows of the trees, and Ringabel's heart sunk. Predators. He had seen the ones in the show, and whatever kind they were, they were eyeing him. His animal instinct took over, and he stood, baring his teeth amidst the pain. Three wolves charged out of the brush, all of them tackling the injured boy. His bluff didn't work…

A sword cut all three of the wolves on him, and Ringabel looked up to see Braev staring down at him. He confronted the wolves further, and Alternis and Edea ran up to him.

"We were worried when we couldn't find you and Edea came running." Alternis said to him, stroking his forehead. The three of them were tearing up as Braev came to them, picking up Ringabel and putting a hand on his stomach, rubbing it to try to soothe the pain.

The three put him in bed, and a few minutes later, Vincent rushed in, forcing the three out. Ringabel was leaned over in pain, and seeing Vincent, he felt better. He cast white magic, making the pain go away, and then inspected the stitches, smiling. Rubbing Ringabel's head, he said it was getting better, and was only inflamed from the impact of the snowball. Ringabel sighed with him.

"I have to get back… she's…" He shook his head, and Ringabel noticed the stress in his eyes. "Never mind that, see you later." He closed the door on his way on the way out, only to be replaced by the three from before, Alternis coming up first and making sure he was okay, then Edea and Braev. Ringabel looked at her with distrust, then it slowly faded, as he relies she was trying to help him in a way that only a five year old could.

In the next week, Vincent took out his stitches, and Edea was delighted as the boys grew closer to her, playing until they froze and went inside. One day, a soldier came up to her with a letter. Reading it slowly, her five year old eyes brightened in delight.

"Hey!" She yelled to the twins as she came into the room they shared."You two get to meet mommy!" The two looked at each other. Another woman. The image of the three came into their head, and they quickly shook it out. She couldn't be that bad, right?


	6. Chapter 6

6

A week later, the twins awoke to a scream from Edea. Getting out of bed and putting on their clothes, the two hurried to her room, only to find a giggling girl in her mother's arms. They flinched when she looked at them, and Edea wormed her way out of her arms.

"Ringabel! Alternis!" Edea cried as she hugged the two of them. They stepped back as the woman stood up, towering above them.

"You are the boys from Florem, yes?" her voice rang with a fine melody. "My name is Mahzer Lee." Despite her kind appearance and long beautiful hair, both boys shied away. "You don't have to be scared, I won't hurt you." Her comment made them even more uneasy and Ringabel ran. Alternis gasped when he did, and before he could go, Edea grabbed him holding him close to her. Her almost inhuman muscles stopped him even when she felt him start to shake. Then she let go, after Mahzer told her to stop. Alternis gave the woman a shy nod, then walked away gingerly, looking behind him twice to make sure he wasn't going to be attacked by her.

Edea huffed at her mom, depressed by the way the boys had reacted to her. Mahzer petted her head and gave a kind smile.

"Your father told me they'd hated women, but this…" She trailed off. This was going to be difficult.

Alternis broke into a full on run as he looked for Ringabel through the halls. Stopping at their room, he slowly opened the large wooden door, not knowing what to expect. He wasn't met with a show of violence when he entered, but heard a small whimper as he looked around the room. It came from underneath the bed, and he knelt down to see a scared Ringabel underneath. He was shaking, and gasped as Alternis came into view. His face was puffy with tears.

Alternis was slightly taken aback, but then he put his arms under the bed, coaxing his twin out from the shadows. Ringabel sat in his lap, comforted by his brother. After a while, he choked out some speech.

"They told me they wouldn't hurt me…" That was all Mahzer and Braev needed to hear, coming into the room together. Both the twins gasped, and Braev picked them up, holding them in his lap with care, just like the last time. Mahzer looked with caution, and then started to stroke Ringabel's hair, as he sat near her. She felt him flinch at her touch, whimpering and burying his face further into Braev, but she continued to stroke him, regardless of the sobs and quivers she got in response to each touch. Alternis tried to stop her, seeing Ringabel's pain, but Braev stopped him.

"He needs to learn what you already know." Was the response he got from the man, who pulled Ringabel out of his arm for the boy to curl up on himself in Mahzer's arms. She hugged him and shushed him, cradling him inside her warmth. He had no energy left, and couldn't even move, so vulnerable and paralyzed with fear. The door opened after awhile, and Edea walked in, seeing a pained Alternis staring at his crying brother. Both of her parents were there too, and were calming them.

"What's wrong with Ringabel?" She asked quietly, coming up to the bed they were on. Ringabel flinched at the words, and then turned around, revealing his red puffy face.

"Mommy left us, and they took me away from Alternis…" He choked out the words. Alternis hid his head, and Braev and Mahzer looked at him. "Then they put me in a cage," He continued, "And they said 'You don't have anything to fear, we won't hurt you…' He started to sob a little, trying to maintain composure. Braev and Mahzer were shocked, as neither heard the full story before.

"They hurt me…" He bent over after saying the words, and Mahzer saw his cheek, and the scar lining it. It went all around his face, down and around his chin. The muzzle. This was the first she saw of it, and the story didn't prepare her well enough for the scar. A tear hit Ringabel's face from above and he looked up to see her crying above him. She hugged him, sitting him up to her and holding him tight.

"I'm so sorry for what happened to you…" She whispered in his ear, and felt his arms wrap around her waist. It was finally time for him to heal. Alternis smiled at the sight, despite the immense guilt he felt from not being able to protect him. Braev noticed this, and pulled him into his arms. Edea stood by them, putting up her arms, and Braev took his free arm to pick her up, setting her next to Alternis. The boy sitting next to her gave her a smile, a thing she had never seen from either of them before. She screamed with glee at the sight, and hugged him.

"Hey…" He whimpered as she cut off his sentence with her squeezing grip. Braev managed to rip her off him, and Ringabel chuckled a little as she pouted to her father. Everyone stayed together for a while, giggling and talking, until Mahzer started to breathe a little heavier. Ringabel looked up at her with worried eyes.

"Don't worry," She started to say, "I sometimes get tired, with health risks and all." Braev put the children down on the bed, all three yawning and rubbing their eyes. "Anyway, you all should get some rest. I see some tired faces." Braev picked up Edea, and Alternis went to his bed as soon as the three left the room. It was dark, and Ringabel sat in his bed, smiling at the ceiling. Somehow, all of the hate, the rage, it all… left him. He giggled softly, so full of joy he felt he could burst.


	7. Chapter 7

7 AN/ (Shimmering sky, you made my week. Also, sorry if the characters get weird or OOC these next few chapters… I'm trying my hand at a fight soon… enjoy)

Braev was weary. He trudged down the hall, exhausted from a hard day's work. Governing was not as fun as it cracked up to be, and his body was showing signs of fatigue. He heard a little giggle, and a couple more, and all of the weariness subsided to the laughter of the two boys. Coming into the mess hall, he saw his daughter with a giant parfait, the size of her almost, with a boy on either side of her; cheering her on as she tried to eat it all before it melted. The three of them laughed until they saw Braev in the window, and scrambled to hide the massive dessert. Ringabel had the stem of a cherry in his mouth, and Alternis some dark chocolate. Edea's face was covered in ice cream. It was Braev's turn to laugh now, as he picked them all up, kissing each one on the cheek.

"Daddy, let go!" Edea remarked, squeezed between the other two. He roared, hugging them harder until Ringabel squealed a bit. He may be healed from his ordeal, but it still hurt, from time to time. Braev frowned as Ringabel tried to hide the discomfort in his gut, smiling at Alternis, who pulled up his shirt to see the thing red with irritation.

"We haven't seen Vincent or Victor in a while…" He trailed off as he grunted in pain. Braev picked him up, feeling sorry, but Ringabel shook his head. "I… I can walk," He said as he wobbled on the ground, until Braev picked him up again. Alternis and Edea followed them, but Ringabel motioned back at them. "Go and eat your parfait, Edea, and Alternis, make sure she finishes it." He smiled at them. "It won't be long, just a little healing." Braev loved his stubbornness, even as he was in pain.

The two arrived at the white magic room, on the bottom floor of the command. Braev opened the door, and was surprised at what he saw. Vincent and Victor stood in front of a large tank, inside was a girl. They both looked back at them, and Victor gasped at Braev, and who he was holding, clutching his stomach. Ringabel whimpered a little as Braev set him down on the table, and waved away the concerned look on his face.

"I'm fine, I assure you," He replied, and Braev noticed how used to the situation he was. Had he been in pain this whole time? Victor made his way over, and pulled open the shirt. He glared at Ringabel, and made a swift healing spell. Ringabel immediately relaxed, sighing as the pain went away.

"Okay, how much have you been training recently?" Victor asked him, still glaring. Ringabel blushed, and Braev gave a questioning look.

"What is this?" Braev asked the both of them, and they looked at him, Ringabel with fear, and Victor with surprise.

"You haven't even told him?!" Victor put his palm on his forehead, grunting. Ringabel looked on, choosing to stay silent, but Victor ushered him. "You can tell him about what I told you." Was all he said, smirking a little. Braev looked at the Boy with expectant eyes.

"I…" He trailed off, but Braev was still watching. Gulping, Ringabel continued, letting out a quick and shaky sentence. "I've been training my freelancer skills in the cold." Braev lifted an eyebrow. "I took one of the blades in the training hall and have been going outside and killing wolves." Braev's look of worry soon took to a look of pride. Ringabel let out a shaky breath, looking on to see what would happen.

"He's been coming in more and more, keeling over as soon as he enters the room." Victor continued for him. "He even almost died, and a soldier brought him in once." At this, the worried look came again, and he put his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"What do you think you're doing?" He said, looking into the boy's eyes. They were filled with guilt. Sighing, he looked away from him, hugging him instead. "Imagine how Alternis would feel if you never came back." Ringabel let out a gasp, and thought of Edea and his twin at his grave. Alternis would never forgive himself.

"I'm sorry, I just, I didn't want anyone around me to be hurt, after what happened in Florem." He looked Braev straight in the face. Something filled his eyes, stronger than the pain. "Help me get better." He nodded, remembering his young self in those eyes.

"Victor!" A cry emerged from the other side of the room. Victor ran to it, holding the clipboard. Braev followed, with Ringabel at his heels.

"We can talk about this later." Braev was still slightly angry at the boy for endangering himself. Ringabel nodded.

The two arrived at the large tank, Vincent on a ladder in the front of it. He looked behind him, and upon seeing the man and boy, he waved. The girl inside looked at them and waved as well, much to Ringabel's delight. She was very small, dressed in a red dress and pigtails the size of her head on both sides.

"How is little Victoria today?" Braev asked, bringing Ringabel to stare at him. He didn't know he knew her as well. She had been there before, when he had been brought in for the pain in his stomach.

"Mr. Braev and Ringabel at the same time!" She gasped, speaking in her adorable voice. "Ringabel, did you get hurt again?" Ringabel gave her a scowl, and then shook his head. Victor went up the ladder this time, smiling gleefully at Victoria.

"We can take you out for a short while!" He said, still smiling. She giggled in response. He wrapped his hands around her tiny frame, and hoisted her out of the heart shaped tank. Vincent laughed at the sight.

"OOOOOOOOOOH! I can feel the air in my lungs!" She said, her voice clearer from the lack of fluid in her system. Together the children played in the room, Victor gingerly caring for Victoria with every second she was out of the tank. Ringabel didn't exactly like to 'play', but he enjoyed seeing her laugh, out of the contained environment. Everything was fine, until she started to scream. Victor gave a look of horror, Vincent picking her up and putting her gently in the tank.

"Victoria!" Victor was having a slight meltdown. "Victoria, can you hear me?" She opened her eyes, putting a shaky hand on the glass. Victor started to cry.

"Vic…tor…" she smiled at him, trying to comfort him in any way she can.

Braev and Vincent wore expressionless faces. Ringabel tried to comprehend the mess, and then realized how late it was. Alternis would probably be worried, or asleep. Victor was there to take care of Victoria, so she'd be fine.

"You still can't do it, Vincent." Braev finally spoke. Vincent glared at him, then nodded. At this, Braev came to Ringabel, ruffling his hair, and picked him up.

"I can walk," He cried to the man, hanging in his large arms.

"I know." Braev replied.


	8. Chapter 8

8

It was a stormy night, the snow pounding against Edea's window. She had to pile up in a heap of blankets to keep warm. Daddy hadn't come back yet, and Alternis and Ringabel were nowhere to be seen. She was bored, and pulled out a book to read, but tired of it after a while. Then she got an idea.

Pulling a wrap of blanket around her, she walked through the hall until she came to a certain room, yanking the door open. In the room were two beds, one of them empty, the other with a shaking figure covered in blankets. She heard sniffles and shivering breath from it, and came to see Alternis, who looked at Edea with desperation.

"Oh…" He shivered from the wall of blankets. "I thought you were Ringabel." Edea looked at him, and put a hand on his cheek. Ice cold. She then pushed the blankets away, shoving herself into them, much to Alternis's surprise, and replaced them.

"You were cold." She commented as he tried to shove her out, then gave up after she almost hit him.

"I don't need to be babied," He shivered back to her, the worry apparent in him. "Just Ringabel… he needs to come back." Edea had also worried about him, he had gone out early in the morning with her father, leaving her and Alternis left out. Alternis didn't take it well. He looked in the covers, putting his head into the pillow. "I never should've left him…" Edea rubbed his back, and couldn't tell if the shivering was from the cold or crying. The two ended up sleeping on one another, exhausted from the cold.

Alternis woke up, expecting Ringabel but seeing Edea instead. He frowned, reaching his head out of the covers only to see the bed empty. Edea stirred at the motion beside her, smiling at Alternis as she woke up.

"Ringabel…" He sighed as he got up. He needed to talk to Braev. Turning around, he faced Edea. "Let's go see your father," he said to her, picking her up out of bed. The both of them dressed, taking turns in the closet, and went up together to the Templar's office. It was empty. Then they tried the bedroom, only to find Mahzer, who woke up at the sight of them. Edea ran to her, Alternis sheepishly behind.

"Oh!" Mahzer cried as her daughter jumped in her arms. "What do we have here?" She looked at Alternis.

"Did you see Ringabel, or Braev?" Alternis asked eagerly, only to be met with disappointment at Mahzer's detached look.

"I thought they were right behind you." She sounded weary.

"Any idea where they went?" Edea asked. Mahzer nodded, making Alternis hopeful.

"He might be in the council chamber." She said to them. "Just be courteous to whoever is in there." They thanked her and left.

"So where is the council chamber anyway?" Alternis asked the girl next to him.

"Right up here, then up the elevator." She said as she led him up the stairs to yet another floor. The two then went up the elevator, looking out the entrance to the council room.

It was huge, with six chairs lining the outside of the curved room. All of them were empty, save one, in which a long man stood, wearing dress clothes, all with a cape. He was a very pale color, and just his appearance sent shivers down Alternis' spine. He looked over at them, seeming interested.

"What is the Grand Marshal's daughter doing here with one of the new boys?" He asked, his voice as cold as he looked.

"Um," Edea stammered, "We were looking for my father." She obviously tried to look important. Alternis choked out a laugh, and she glared daggers at him.

Entertained, the man walked up to them.

"My name is Lord Derosso. Your father hasn't been here all day, and neither has your brother." He finished looking down at the two, who stood gaping at his regal presence. Pausing to take in the faces, he said "I know everything you two have been doing all day, and the ones you seek are outside, in a cave in the mountains." With that, he erupted in a puff of smoke, and all that remained was a bat, laughing with a screech. It flew out the window, leaving the remaining flabbergasted. It only took a few seconds for Edea to regain herself though.

"Let's go, Alternis!" She yelled as she grabbed his arm.

"No, Edea, you're too young." He sighed to her, taking his arm and starting to leave her. "Just wait for us to come back." She grabbed him again.

"You don't have a plan, do you?" She asked him, and saw his eyes dart away from her gaze. "No? Then let me. Please." She forced herself into his careful eyes. He nodded.

"Fine, but if there is too much trouble, leave as soon as possible." Edea nodded in reply, smiling.

Edea and Alternis stood in front of her wall, admiring the weapons there. She took a sword, And Alternis followed. Both were long swords, and were uncomfortable to wield for their tiny bodies, so both strapped one to their back and took daggers, both made out of mythril, shining with the light green characteristic of the metal. With an extra coat on their backs, they set out toward the mountains closest to the keep, lining westmoor.


	9. Chapter 9

9 AN (This chapter was a little shorter than I'd like, so I threaded two together, you'll know what I'm saying when you get to it.)

Braev took Ringabel out of the command in his free time after meeting with the council. He enjoyed seeing the boy slash at the wolves quickly, and backed him up with his sword, felling the creatures. They did this for over an hour, moving around the open space in Westmoor until Ringabel started to show signs of wear. He put a reassuring hand on his back, but the cold wind and large clouds rolling in made him worry. They had been out too long, and the night was coming, with a storm.

"We'll have to find some sort of structure to sleep in." The man said to the boy amidst the wind, who started to walk with him to the mountains lining the land. It took them about a half hour to find a cave in the rock, Braev letting Ringabel run in first, then climbing into it himself. The opening was small, but the inside was huge, a cavern holding a huge dark chasm in the bottom. Ringabel gasped at the sight, but Braev was quizzical. Something like this hasn't been found before, and it was kind of worrying him.

A sharp breeze flew through the cave, and Ringabel shuddered in front of him. He grabbed the boy, leaning against the wall, and enveloped him, feeling him relax in his arms. Braev noticed how cold his body felt, and regretted bringing him out here in this storm. The boy quickly fell asleep in his arms, but Braev stayed up, looking out into the storm. Hopefully it would end soon.

Halfway through the seemingly endless night, the cave started to shake, the chasm rumbling beneath their feet, and both Braev and Ringabel looked in horror as they heard a sort of loud hissing from down below. Soon, a snake's head rose out of the trench, large and purple. It had large red eyes, and hissed at them. Soon, another popped out in the middle of the hole, then another and another, until there were six. They hissed in unison, and rose out of the hole together, connected to a body, only it wasn't. A large cape concealed it, just the heads, jutting out of the top, covering where the head should be, and four wings along the back.

Braev had just enough time to shove the scared Ringabel away from him as it screamed, enveloping him in a dark circle.

"Run Ringabel!" Braev yelled at him, disappearing into thin air. Ringabel looked up at the creature, and then started to run. He knew he would be killed if he didn't.

Plowing through the storm, he tried to run through the snow, but it was almost as tall as him, and he rolled down a hill, the tops of trees peeking out of the snow. Then a hand came to him. It was Braev, but it was different. He was completely armored, the armor scraping against his glove. Ringabel smiled up at him, happy he somehow got away, but the man glared at him, taking out his sword. Ringabel stepped back as Braev swung at him.

"Braev… What's wrong with you?" He said as he cautiously backed away from the man.

"There is no me." He said sharply, with a hint of discipline in his voice. "There is only Asmodeus!" He cried to the sky now, with the large creature floating down behind him. The heads hissed, and a barrage of Blizzard surrounded Ringabel, then a lightning storm, then plumes of fire. He was trapped, desperate, and needed his brother. Braev stepped through the elements, holding his sword in hand.

"Now you must know Asmodeus."

Alternis sighed in the morning snow. It was cold, and there were no signs of his brother. They had already searched half of Westmoor, and thank the heavens they hadn't been attacked by monsters. He looked down at Edea, her sweet young face staring up at him, and wondered if there could be a better angel. He knew his mother wasn't.

"Mom, you can't..." Alternis sighed to his mother, deep in his memory. "You can't do this. What will we do?" She just stared at the test tubes, her face unemotional. "Think of Ringabel. How will he take this?"

He tried to grab the tubes.

She slapped him across the face, pushing the small glass container in his mouth. Tears left her eyes. He remembered losing consciousness looking into those sorrowful eyes. She stroked his head.

"My son, it's better this way…"

He looked at Edea, his face slightly puffy. She hugged him.

"Alternis…" She pouted. "Don't be sad. It makes me sad." He patte**d **her head.

"I'm fine. Now I'm not so sure about Ringabel and Braev." He said to her, taking her along the edge of the cliffs, looking for any sign. He then saw something he never thought he'd see.

A pack of wolves ran to the man, clothed in a green kimono. Letting out a cry, he evaded every one of the creatures, standing away from them as he sheathed his sword. The whole pack whimpered and died, making a bloody pile behind him. The kids stood in awe.

"I can see you there, you know." He cried out to them, and Alternis tensed at the thought of being the man's next target. Edea, however, had other plans. She ran to the man.

"Kamiizumi!"


	10. Chapter 10

10 AN (Well, if they were going to take down Asmodeus, those kids are going to need backup. Who better than that epic dude with the voice of Clark Triton and Dimitri Allen? I haven't looked it up, so chastise me if I'm wrong, but he just sounds like them. Damn, this is long.)

Alternis looked warily at the man accompanying them. He had introduced himself as Nobatsuma Kamiizumi, A swordmaster who served Eternia. Edea seemed to know him very well, and he seemed trustworthy, but there was some uneasiness that refused to leave him.

'Just nerves,' He thought to himself.

"I have been in seclusion in the mountains, until that little earthquake." The man said. "I had to come and check it out for myself, and I find the daughter of my dear friend." Edea smiled at him. She held up her dagger.

"I can fight too, see?" She said to him, only wanting his approval. The man smiled back at her, but flinched, pulling the two out of the clear air, behind a snow bank.

"Look there." He said to them. "Slowly." The three peeped their heads out of the face, only to see the huge creature slowly floating toward central command, with two figures following behind on foot. Alternis gasped, and Kamiizumi had to grab him to keep him from running out into the clearing.

"My brother…" He said to the man, who nodded, giving them little tree shaped capsules from his belt.

"You might need them later." He said to them. "If they won't listen to you or don't recognize words, put this on top of their heads, and in their mouth if possible." Edea and Alternis looked puzzled, but they put it in their belts as well. After watching them to get a grip on what they were going to do, the master nodded, and the three sprang into action.

Edea and Alternis rushed to Ringabel, and Kamiizumi left them for Braev and Asmodeus. Ringabel noticed the two, and took out his dagger, the only thing telling them he was alive. His eyes were a lifeless black. He yelled a blood curdling scream, running toward Alternis, who stood there.

"Ringabel, please." He cried to his brother. "Please stop this." The body flinched a little, gritting its teeth, and Edea struck him down, tackling him on the snow. His dagger flew away, and he screamed and wriggled under her tight grip. Alternis couldn't take it. He took the capsule, shoving it into his brother's mouth, which bit his hand in response. Alternis flinched, giving a little scream in reply. The hand was released afterward, the tongue licking the bite. His eyes started to get back to their hazel form, and he shook his head.

"Uhhhhhh…" He groaned, not knowing what happened for a second, and then he screamed again. Alternis hugged him, petting his back and cooing silently in his ear until he calmed down.

"A-alternis…" He stuttered out, still trying to get out of the jumble of thoughts that clouded his mind. "How… Why…" Alternis just continued to pet his back, noticing the scrapes on his neck. Fangs. It was just like the last time.

Edea was looking at them, and then decided to let them sort it out. Kamiizumi had gotten Braev out of his trance, and the two were fighting the beast, who hissed in the distance. She longed to join them, but she couldn't leave the twins, who were crying into each other's sides now. They were crybabies.

The creature roared in the distance, and she watched in awe as her daddy and the master felled the beast. It exploded in a red blaze, leaving behind a small bag. Edea ran to them, with Alternis holding Ringabel, who wasn't in the best mental state. The men cheerily held the bag, looking at the piles of gold.

"Nobatsuma, I haven't seen you in a while, and then you show up at the best time as always." Braev beamed, grabbing his troubled daughter, who giggled a little upon seeing her daddy, but was also worried about the twins.

"Yes, It's nice to see you again, and little Edea has grown so much." Kamiizumi said in his strong voice. He then looked for the twins. "Ah." He found them, holding each other, Alternis trying to protect Ringabel from the cold. The whole night, his possessed body had been practically exposed to the elements. He hid in Alternis when he saw Braev. Braev was confused at this.

"What happened after I was caught?" He said to the boy as the group moved back to the command. He shivered a bit before talking.

"You were taken by the creature, then it came after me. I ran as far as I could…" Ringabel shivered a little more. "You came up to me, and tried to kill me." He stopped there, having said enough. Braev grabbed him away from Alternis, who protested.

"I will never hurt you again." His words were solemn and serious. Ringabel cried into his shoulder. Edea screamed a little, looking through the bag. Kamiizumi held it for her, and he jumped a little as she took a small gem out of the bag, shaped like a diamond, but gold on the top with black on the spiky side.

"An asterisk!" Kamiizumi said, his eyes widening at the sight of the gem. It carried a sign he had never seen before, a dark helmet with gold embellishment. Alternis came up to the jewel now, looking at it with interest. The gem seemed to glow as he touched it, and it disappeared, covering him in jet black armor. He yelped a little as his knees buckled from the weight.

"Alternis!" All of them screamed, and Alternis struggled up with the help of Kamiizumi and Edea. Braev wasn't ready to let Ringabel go, he felt bad for how bad their trip out went. Nevertheless, he squirmed in his arms, trying to get to his brother, who was confused and slightly ecstatic as he looked through the helm completely covering his face.

"Alternis… are you alive?" Ringabel almost pleaded to him. Alternis realized he hasn't said anything, and he spoke.

"I'm fine, just surprised." He was surprised at how his voice had dropped an octave as it went through the helm, surprising everyone. He got to his feet fully, then took some experimental steps with the armor on. Heavy, but tolerable.

"Let me look at you for a second," Kamiizumi told him, inspecting him for something. He sighed. "There isn't a visible asterisk, it must be inside somewhere." Braev shook his head.

"You will just have to deal with it until we get back." He added, Ringabel looking sad in his arms. Braev finally let him down, and he walked with his brother again, avoiding any particularly sharp pieces. He wondered how they were going to get out of this mess.


	11. Chapter 11

Twins

11 (10,000 characters officially in word. YEAH! Just a little craziness for the weird stuff ahead. I AM SO SORRY FOR THIS MESS.) Oh yeah, I just posted all of it whoops.

Alternis was floating. He felt nothing in the blank, dark, space that penetrated his mind, body, and surroundings. After what seemed like years, he heard a small whisper, almost nothing in the recesses of his ears.

"He's done much since you've arrived here. What about you?" Alternis contemplated this for a second.

"I… what have I done?"

"Nothing. You get no glory. Not here, not in the city you came from."

Alternis frowned a little, drowsy in the darkness. His eyes closed.

"I know you can hear me, you responded earlier, why not talk a bit?" Alternis looked around, finding a boy sitting next to him. He looked like Ringabel, no, himself. There were no facial features, or any features at all, although he could almost feel it grinning next to his floating body.

"What are you?" He asked the thing, who laughed in response.

"You should know the answer for yourself." It answered in its whispery voice, almost taunting him… It laughed again. Alternis looked at it puzzled. The thing next to him came up close to him, putting the front of its "face" right next to his.

"I find you interesting, so I'll stay around for a bit. It waved as he felt himself drifting away, into the light of his bead. The armor was still on him.

What was that?

He started to ponder the question, but it disappeared as soon as Ringabel approached him. He had bandages around his arms and on his face._ I'm still here, and so is he, no thanks to you._

"Even when one problem comes, another has to take its place." He sighed hopelessly, putting his hand on Alternis' leg. His expression was hard, like the one he saw that night. _The one when he hurt you._

"Hey… are you okay?" Alternis said to him, reaching for his brother's arm. Ringabel flinched back, but soon realized that it was just Alternis. _He can't stand you. You couldn't protect him when he needed you._

"Sorry for that," He chuckled, hoisting Alternis up to a sit. "Not used to the low voice. Anyway, Braev wanted to see you in the council chamber, something about the armor. Hopefully he can get it off and we can get a break." _The break you got with Edea when he froze to death outside._

Alternis walked to the council room, the armor less heavy than it was earlier, his body had adjusted to the weight. Ringabel stood right behind him as he saw Vincent, Braev, Kamiizumi, Derosso, and old man with a very long beard he didn't recognize. He was wearing… he couldn't even try to piece together what he wore. The old man looked surprised at the armor. _Those men… don't let him near you._

"So it did come back," He said in a voice that sounded perverted and made Alternis a little uncomfortable. "Then I have good reason to be here, it seems." He walked over to him, inspecting the armor. He apparently found what he was looking for on the side of his head, a little black cog there. _I want to be with you, it's been too long since I've been able to talk to someone…_

The helm came off immediately, and Alternis winced as he saw the bright light of the chamber fill his vision._ Stop, this is your only chance to make things right._

Everyone in the room gave a big sigh, and Alternis saw Ringabel's visual want to hug him. The old man smiled, and put his hand in the back of his neck, making him uncomfortable. _Please, help me._

He felt around a little, and then grabbed the inside of the armor. It disappeared around him, forming into the gem in the man's hand. _Alternis, Please don't leave me there, I don't want to go back. Alter-_

Alternis felt something leave him, and it made him almost sad to leave the armor. He couldn't hear the voice, it sounded sad when it left, scared.

"This," The man held up the gem, "Is the Dark Knight Asterisk. I thought I had cast it into the infernal realm long ago, but it seems to have returned." He sighed after this, almost regretting something. He then looked to Alternis.

"If you value yourself, never try this again. I know how much you want this." The words echoed in Alternis' mind. Everyone had taken to crowding around him at this point, Ringabel hugging him and Vincent and Braev checking his health. Derosso and The man just nodded at each other, and put the Asterisk in a glass case sitting in the middle of the room on a pedestal.

Derosso took to his bat form, much to Ringabel's surprise, and the old man stared at the gem for a second, then left in a spell, covering the area in a yellow light.

"Who was he?" Alternis asked Braev.

"The sage Yulyana. He is very wise, although he is a pervert." Braev nodded, thinking his explanation was accurate. Kamiizumi laughed. There seemed to be a story behind this, but he left it for later.

"On a more serious note, whatever the sage said should be taken seriously, except when it comes to women. Don't come near the job, whatever happens." Vincent said to the children, despite Alternis' desire to even touch the gem. Leaving it left a throbbing inside his head, confusing him. He didn't seem to care on the outside, however, and went back to his brother, who looked relived, to say the least.

"Let's go and eat something, hmm?" Ringabel looked at him, and Alternis still felt bad about the bandages. He could see a faint scarlet color on the one on his cheek, the one that was from the time Edea tackled him into the snow. His eyes scared him, the color of them not human. It reminded him of… He put the dream out of his mind, trying to focus on the now.

Alternis couldn't relive his grief, even when Edea came down the stairs to hug him. The thing made him so sad, so empty when it left. He couldn't take it anymore, and his head felt like it was splitting by the end of the day, when everyone else was in bed. He went into the council chamber.


	12. Chapter 12

12 (So, I finally came up with a chapter. Yay. This arc is difficult for me, because I'm trying to get Alternis a better personality and he needed… something. So, the process was: Alternis needs something! Better give him some armor! Might as well throw in some fighting or some kind of mental thing. )

Braev woke up in the early morning, his lovely Mahzer in the bed with him.

"Good morning," She said to him, resting in his sent next to her. "I'm glad that everyone is better, now." She tickled his chin, wrapping her finger in his beard.

"I'm glad that we have reached peace as well," He spoke to her, hugging her then getting his work clothes ready. When he was ready to leave to the council chamber, he rubbed her head and gave her a firm kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you later, darling." She smiled at him from the covers as he closed the door behind him.

Braev was confident on his way up the elevator, confident that things had finally worked out for the better. The door opened to the round room, and his hopes were dashed as he saw a small body covered in shadowy armor. He ran to it, only for it to jerk up and grab a small red sword. He heard broken laughter coming from the helm, taking twisted delight at the red.

"I thought that Yulyana had been the end of me, but it seems like I snatched the child after all." The boy laughed again, and Braev could sense the evil flowing off of him in droves.

"Alternis…" He calmly said to the hysterical armor, "Are you alright?" The sounds of cackling reflected against the chamber, but the voice that followed was calmer, timid and almost scared.

"OH…. I'm alright, alright… right? Right." The armor started to tremble, hands clutching the front of the helm. Braev could see the trembles wracking through the body, and tried to stay calm, to disarm without hurting the boy. Seeing an opening, he took out his sword, disarming the child, then grabbing him by the back. Alternis squirmed in his grasp, but Braev had his armor out as well, and he was far stronger than the body, who was now only eleven. He located the cog for the helm, and took it out as fast as possible.

He saw Alternis, but he was… different. A permanent smile was rung across his face, crooked and with all of the glory of a mental patient. His eyes were a sharp black in contrast to his pale face. He wore that smile even as he started to give a loud tortured scream at seeing the light. Braev kept his hold, until he felt pain coursing through him, some kind of strange magic. The body of Alternis seemed unaffected by it as it grew a little distance from him, but then it grabbed its side, breaking the smile a little. The eyes then grew calm; the face reverted back to normal, registering the pain.

"What happened back there? I thought you said…" Alternis was talking to himself, and just started to register Braev. He grew tense, and looked down at the armor, and then at the man, who had a battle pose ready. "Braev, I can explain…" As soon as he said this, Alternis started to scream, and the smile and eyes took their place again.

"Sorry, buddy," He took a few snappy giggles as he reverted, "But I have to deal with the big scary man now. You wouldn't want him to hurt you, or send you back to those women, now would you? Also, they would be happy to take your brother with you, put him back in the cage with the thing on him."

Braev narrowed his eyes at the body, obviously taken over by that… thing. It was exploiting his pain; the things he thought had been long gone in the years that had passed. Braev shook his head. He remembered the plague, the orthodoxy. He would never forgive them. In his thoughts, he was nearly hit by Alternis, who charged, laughing the whole way. Not seeing any other way to end it, he brought his sword down and pinned Alternis down to the ground. Forcing himself to ignore the screams from Alternis and jolts of magic pain that coursed throughout his body, Braev reached behind the armor, turning the asterisk and removing it from Alternis' body. He grew limp for a second, then the sword rose before it could harm him.

"Braev… I…" Braev hugged the trembling Alternis, and then slapped him, making him whimper and struggle away.

"Never put that thing near you again." Braev's words were dead serious. Alternis nodded at him, dead scared, as he took him into his room, opening the door to a panicked Ringabel.

"A-Alternis!" He ran to him, hugging him, and then finding a red mark on his face. He glared at Braev, something he never thought he would do. Braev glared down back at him.

"He had the asterisk on him again, and attacked me." Braev's words came out short, filled with pain at having to go that far. He had no choice; he had to scare the children away from the hell known as the asterisks until they were able to shoulder the power. "Alternis, you are to never touch an asterisk for as long as you live." His face remained stone cold, and so had Alternis' and Ringabel's. He simply left the room afterward.

Ringabel looked at his brother. He seemed fine, except for one problem. He was smiling crookedly, holding back a laugh.


	13. Chapter 13

13 (this chapter feels wrong, my goodness, and there will probably be something up midweek to satisfy the need for something newish, as this is kinda repetitive.)

Alternis opened the door. The council chamber was in front of him, the golden ridges of the furniture struck out in the murky black of the room. Darting his head back and forth, he looked for the thing he craved for… some reason. It was weird; he forgot why he needed it in the first place.

One thing stood out in the silence of the room, the large glass dome in the center, lined in gold. In it, the gem sat, tempting, patiently waiting for his return. Almost in a trance, he slowly lifted the blue dome.

"Alternis…" He gasped as he heard the small, whispery voice not unlike his own, radiating in his mind. "You actually came back for me…" It sounded quiet, tortured, sad.

"I couldn't forsake you, not after… I did it to him." He smiled as he put his hand closer to the gem, but couldn't help thinking about Ringabel. When he saw the bandages along his face, he realized that it was all his fault. He could've stopped it by asking to go along, or somehow taking his place… or staying with him in Florem. The last thought made him feel pain in his heart...

"I'm sorry, so sorry, please, forgive me. Ringabel." He sighed as his fingers touched gingerly on the top of the asterisk. Then it flooded him with power, but this time it was different. Instead of just covering him in armor, it flooded his muscles with pain, the shock causing him to scream and double over. He screamed for Ringabel. He screamed for it to stop, but there was no release. Was this what dying felt like?

"Help me…" He was reduced to sobs. The pain continued, but then it somehow got worse, he felt himself slipping, and somehow getting pulled out… of himself? He heard the laughter of the voice, the pain gone from before as it _ripped_ him from his body. _Alternis, you can't protect even Ringabel anymore, so I will do it for you. No worries, Braev won't be able to send you back for bad behavior; you know he was planning to do that, right?_

There was nothing… the dark void from before only remained there. The immense pain was gone, leaving him gasping and confused. Braev had plans to return him? What about Ringabel? He floated there… until he heard a voice.

"Alternis… are you alright?" The voice, it was familiar… Braev? He reached out, anywhere, and started to speak.

"Oh…I'm alright," He said to the black fog around him. _Are you sure you're alright? It is very painful the first few times._

"I'm alright." He wasn't sure if he was talking to it or Braev. _Ok, I just don't want to hurt you anymore, Braev hates you so much, he wants to kill you. And him. See the sword? _

"But he loved us, Right?" _Why would he? He is just going to abandon you; you can't even live without me as soon as you realized the power. I can help you now.I need to attack now, but You will still be in here, okay? _Alternis couldn't understand anything anymore; his mind was warping and turning in the fog.

"Right." He understood. The only thing he could trust was the asterisk. Then he felt something in the fog, an abrupt jarring sensation. He was thrust into the room, pain filling him.

"What happened there? I thought you said I wasn't going out of the space." He hid the last part of the sentence in his mind after realizing Braev was there. He was going to reject him, kill him, his sword was out just as the being had said. He needed to say something… make his case… "Braev, I can explain…" _Sorry, buddy, but I have to deal with the big scary man now. You wouldn't want him to hurt you, or send_ _you back to those women, now would you? Also, they would be happy to take your brother with you, put him back in the cage with the thing on him." _

He felt the intense pain from before, but it was only for a moment. He was right… all along. He didn't want to believe, but as he felt the jarring again, and got peeks at the fight. Braev had him pinned down, going to kill him… Then the worst came. He grabbed the asterisk, and Alternis felt himself leave with it.

Pulled away from his body.

"NO, DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!" He screamed as he was sucked into the gem, leaving a body on the ground. Through the last bit of vision, he saw himself, talking, but it wasn't him. It was that thing.

He sobbed in the dark, hating every piece of himself, until he saw something in the darkness, not unlike the time he had seen the apparition appear before him. he despised the thing, but this time it seemed different, more direct and heinous than before.

"So you are the next one..."


	14. Chapter 14

It had been three days since he remembered Alternis discovering the dark knight asterisk.

Three days for Yulyana to sigh, Ringabel to recover, Kamiizumi to train her.

And three days for himself.

He had forgotten how the air, however cold and stormy, brushed against his face. The warmth of the fleece blanket rubbing against his side, covering him and the sleeping child next to him. Ringabel had recovered fine; the bandages had been long gone, only to reveal more scars lining his young tissue. From his brief time with Alternis, he had gone into his memory, only to find the horror that the two of them had faced. Not nearly as bad as him, though. He almost shivered as the neglect of his soul returned to bite him.

Due to the time in the dark, he didn't remember much about himself, just flashes of pain in the final moments of his body. He left the happiness as he went to serve the master, the one who pulled him into the depths of the living nightmare when he was small. He shivered again, causing Ringabel to stir next to him.

"Alternis, are you cold?" His voice was groggy.

"No."

"But you're shivering."

"I'm fine." He let out a couple of unintentional shivers.

"You haven't been yourself at all lately." He looked him in the eyes, only for him to get out of them as quickly as possible. "See, just like that, ever since the asterisk took over your body. What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing." His reply was short, almost choked. He knew what he did was wrong, and he felt the need to tell the child sitting next to him, but he would go back there.

"Alternis. I can tell when you lie." Ringabel looked pained. "Just tell me." 'Alternis' started to shake harder next to him, giving off bitter sobs. He grabbed his head.

"I-I'm n-n-not your brother…" Ringabel's eyes widened.

"What did you say?" Ringabel was backing away from the person who was next to him, pulling out a little dagger that was next to him.

"I'm an unworthy soul. I should've died a long time ago, but the master took me away and controlled my body before he fully died. Now…" He couldn't finish the sentence, his head was screaming inside of him. He felt the energy draining away, Ringabel ran to him as he collapsed…

"I can't believe it…" Yulyana looked at the child in the hospital bed. Ringabel tried to register an emotion from him, but he was stone cold. Braev held the same face Yulyana had, and Ringabel glared at the body, on the verge of tears. They all sat in a relative silence until Yulyana spoke again.

"His name was Marco." He sighed to them. "He served as an aide to a man named Nathaniel, the first and only man to use the dark knight asterisk."

"The asterisks were…" Yulyana paused for a second. "He was given the asterisk, and he found that power came at a horrible cost. The magic attacks slowly drain the user of their energy, and create…" He came over to Marco, and uncovered the shirt. There were little marks all over the arm.

At this, Ringabel tensed up, ready to cry.

"One day, Nathaniel fought too hard. He was fighting a creature that possessed dark magic, and his attacks weren't as affective as they should've been. He eventually killed it, but his attacks were too powerful on his body." Yulyana paused again.

"The magic the creature had must have affected the asterisk in some way, because Nathaniel somehow attached his soul to the asterisk right before he died. Marco was left alone, and had no choice but to use the asterisk. He was attacked right as he used it, ripped out of his body by his master. Something inside of Nathaniel snapped that day, and he ended up killing Marco as well, trapping the both of them in the asterisk. I couldn't let that power fall in the wrong hands again, so I put it away in the infernal realm, but it somehow found its way back here." Everyone in the room was silent, until Marco started to groan. His eyes began to crack open, and he tried to sit up, but was too tired to do so.

"What… what happened?" He looked around, not recognizing in the room.

"Marco…" Yulyana started. The boy in the cot almost jumped, and muttered something. Then he doubled over, gripping his head. Braev ran out of the room, then brought Vincent and Victor in. They met the boy, then healed him. The room stayed in silence again.

"Was that my name? Marco?" He sat up in a confused gaze, looking to Yulyana. The old man nodded, and walked over to him.

"Do you remember anything else?" He asked gingerly.

"No, all I remember are faint traces of being somewhere… dark." He shuddered at the word dark. At this, Ringabel stood up with a growl. As he made the noise, his scars seemed to grow around his neck.

"But where is Alternis?" He barely concealed his bare rage. "You said you took him out." Braev stopped him from grabbing Marco, who was fearful. "Where is he!?" Tears were falling out of Ringabel's eyes; however hard he tried to stop them.

"We go into the asterisk and battle the demons that may be in there." Everyone in the room looked at Yulyana. "I failed once, now I have the chance to stop it again." Braev walked up to him.

"Let me come as well." He said to the old man. "The boy is my responsibility as well, and I kept him in there for all this time.

Ringabel stood with them, and a couple of sniffles escaped him, but he held his head up.

"I need to go. Alternis would've done the same." Yulyana looked at the boy, then at Braev. Seeing the fire in his eyes once again, Braev nodded in agreement.

"Alright, once you feel well, Marco, we'll save your brother and let you rest." Yulyana said to the soul inhabiting Alternis' body. He was tired, but smiled weakly.

__"Thank you. Rest… rest after all this time…" He started to tear up. "I was so lost for so long, but being out here made me feel so much better. Thanks…" Vincent gave a short sigh, leading Victor out of the room.

The three left to get ready, and the room became quiet quickly, leaving the young, tortured soul to think about the past.


End file.
